Across the room, a blonde, middle-aged woman caught Goldie’s eye. It wasn’t the hair alone, or even the features on her face, which Goldie couldn’t completely make out. It was the way she carried herself. Confident. Speculative. It reminded Goldie of her mother.
“Aunt Bethany?” Could this be why she hadn’t been home earlier? Maybe she’d been on the decorative committee for this fundraiser. In a small town like this, with an event like this, it made total sense.
“Did you say something?” Adrian asked.
“Will you excuse me?” Goldie said, distracted and grateful to be so. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll meet you by the raffle table?” His voice seemed uneasy and off-kilter. It drew her back to the realization that his arm was still at her waist.
The touch sent a series of tingles tangoing up her spine. He sounded as though he was affected by being this close to her, too. As if he hadn’t expected it either and didn’t want to let her go.
How could one dance have so much hold over them?
“Sure,” she said.
***
Adrian watched Goldie saunter toward the bathrooms and tried not to notice how her hips swayed in that dress. His mom had given him such a hard time for bringing her. He had to admit, he was slightly dazed after their dance. His blood was laced with the after-effects of holding her in his arms, and he attempted to recapture his thoughts.
He really did need to get back to Chicago to manage his company on site now that he was done helping his mom, but with Goldie staying at the ranch, with their whole fake girlfriend façade, he couldn’t leave. He needed to handle things from here a little while longer, which meant more time in Goldie’s company. He just never expected her to turn his brain into mush the way she had just now.
She slipped through the crowd, and the sight of her was blocked by dancers now reveling in the jazz band’s talents.
His dad would have loved this. He’d always loved drawing a crowd for a cause, as he would say. Matthew Bear’s generosity had been one of his finer qualities. Heck, to the casual acquaintance, his father had seemed like a saint. But for Adrian, he was the thumb constantly pushing him down.
“Well, well, well.”
Adrian closed his eyes. He knew that voice, and he turned to find Danica Foster sneering at him. She wore a white blouse with a frilly yellow skirt that made her look like a cupcake. Her brown hair was coiled at the back of her head, and her dark makeup made her features stand out in the low lighting.
“Danica, how are you?”
“Doing just fine, Bear. How about you? I’ve been wanting to catch up since your dad died.”
She threw it at him so casually it hit his chest like a fast-pitch baseball. He hoped she didn’t notice his inhale. This was no sympathy statement. This was her usual disillusioned way of handling breakable things with all the care of a drunken postal worker.
“I’ve been busy,” he said.
“So your mom tells me. So have I. It’s been good to keep up on things with her at work. Though it has been weird now that your dad is gone.”
“You worked for my father?” What had the old man been thinking, to hire her? Then again, it may have been his mother’s influence. Why was his mom so insistent on the two of them getting together?
Danica nodded. “Your mom and dad gave me a job when I got fired from the Golden Corral. I’m the one who’s been helping your mom with this event. How do you like the decorations?”
Adrian knew very well it was more than only one person who’d been helping. “They’re nice,” he said.
“I told your mom how much I’ve missed you.”
No wonder his mom had been trying so hard to push him toward her again. He suddenly wished Goldie was still with him. It was time to ramp up this fake girlfriend business. He was tempted to shower affection on Goldie here if for nothing else than to prove to both Danica and his mother how over Danica he was.
“I’m here with someone, actually,” he said, trying to politely but firmly end this conversation. “Have you met Goldie?”
Danica snorted. He’d grant her that, it was an unusual name. Maybe her parents were old-fashioned.
Goldie was making her way toward him again. Though she was among strangers, he would never have been able to tell. She carried herself with composure and class in that dress. An impulse took over him, and he gave Danica a parting nod before making his way toward her.
Danica didn’t get the hint. “Is that her?” she asked following in his wake.
“It was nice talking to you, Dani. Have a good evening.” Adrian gave her enough of his attention to make the farewell before slipping away.
Her voice crawled after him. She was following him.
“I hear you’re looking for something of your father’s.”
Adrian stiffened with all the instinct of a hunted animal sensing its predator. She didn’t. His mom wouldn’t have shared news of his missing inheritance with her, would she?
He turned to find Danica simpering, her glossy lips pouting in fulsome triumph.
“Tell me you’re joking,” he said.
Danica strutted closer and ran a hand up his lapel. “Lockboxes can be tricky. If you need help looking, you know how good at finding things I am.” She winked.
The memory rippled in his mind’s eye. He’d lost his keys once in high school, and she’d found them under his bed. They’d ended up sharing their first kiss after it had happened.
He wouldn’t play this game. He refused to, though part of him was tempted to come out and ask her where the lockbox was. How would she possibly know it even existed? Why would his mom or dad confide that in her, but claim to not know where it was to him?
It wasn’t logical. Danica had probably only heard it was missing, not where it was.
Adrian wondered again what was inside of it. Chase had been left the house he and his family lived in, along with the barn and horses. Jordan had been given land as well, along with the fish hatchery on their property. It wasn’t that Adrian felt entitled, but he did want to know which portion of his father’s business had been segmented and given to his care. It couldn’t be the bed and breakfast part of things. That had stayed in their mom’s care.
Goldie returned to his side. “Everything okay?” she asked.
Boy, but her lashes were long. He couldn’t help but feel the weight of Danica’s attention on them, so he took the opportunity to slip both arms around Goldie’s waist. He sensed her tighten, her lashes lifting wider as if surprised. Then she relaxed into his embrace.
Her slim waist, her dazzling eyes, and the feel of her surrendering was enough to lure him closer. He found himself lowering his nose to where her smooth neck met her shoulder when her voice stopped him.
“What’s this all about?” Her voice was timid. She placed a hand on his bicep.
Right.
“Sorry,” he said, realizing how he was holding her and toning it down a notch. He lowered his arms and stepped back. At least his tactic had worked. Dani was gone, but he hadn’t noticed her walk away. With Goldie this close, he hadn’t noticed anything at all except her.
“Fake boyfriend, remember?”
Goldie pressed her lips together. Adrian winced as well, hating how it sounded. It implied how false the gesture had been. In that moment, however, it hadn’t felt fake at all.
***
Dancing with Adrian was delirious. The man knew just how to step, how to cast his glance in that carefree way to display his superb jawline, and especially how to hold her when the songs were slow. Several times, Goldie was tempted to close the distance the way he’d done when she’d returned to him after looking for her aunt, to lay her head on his chest, but she couldn’t let the stardust of the evening, with its live music and twinkle lights, make her forget reality.
She also couldn’t forget how jarring it’d been to hope for a glimpse of Aunt Bethany only to find the blonde she’d seen had been too young and didn’t look a thing like her mother
after all.
If Goldie didn’t find her aunt, what was she going to do? Return home and admit defeat? She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before the band’s peppy rendition of Jump, Jive, and Wail stopped, and after the applause, Mrs. Bear made her way up to the stage.
“It’s time to begin our raffle,” she announced.
Already? She supposed she had been sidetracked in Adrian’s arms for a while now.
One by one, prizes were presented. Fishing poles, coolers, table runners, and quilts. Finally, Mrs. Bear invited Danica to the stage to present a wooden sign with the word “Home” assembled on it in darker wooden letters.
Goldie secretly loved the sign’s simplicity, and began imagining how it would look on her wall above the table she’d found at a thrift store. The numbers they read off sounded vaguely familiar.
“It’s you,” Adrian said, leaning in close to mutter the words and offering one of the many tickets in his hand.
“Me?” Goldie couldn’t believe it. “I won?”
He grinned. “Here,” he called out, loud enough to be heard. He took Goldie’s hand and lifted theirs together like she’d come out on top during a boxing match.
Applause became a cacophony in Goldie’s ears. She couldn’t help the grin stretching over her face. Adrian accompanied her up to receive her prize.
The sign was made with stained wood and hand-painted letters. Goldie held it up with admiration until she noticed the glower on Danica’s face. Suddenly, she would rather not have won at all.
“Don’t mind her,” Adrian mumbled, patting Goldie’s hand as he joined her down the stairs and back to the gym floor.
The remainder of the prizes was awarded, and the dishes were being cleared by the waiters and waitresses when Adrian asked if Goldie was ready to leave.
That she was. She couldn’t help but notice Danica and Mrs. Bear sharing secrets on the stage. Every time their glances trailed in Goldie’s direction, she told herself they were only looking at Adrian, though a sneaking suspicion told her it was just the opposite.
They were looking at her, which only made her wonder what exactly they’d been talking about.
***
Goldie carried her sign out to the car, waiting patiently while Adrian acknowledged people left and right and introduced her as his girlfriend from back East. She flinched every time, though she supposed it wasn’t an outright lie. He had officially asked her to be his temporary girlfriend. But the memory of their dance, of the way he’d held her, and the way her heart half wished it was real, was too bewildering.
It wasn’t real, and it could never be real. Until she found her aunt and found out exactly what was going on, she couldn’t allow herself to trust anyone—no matter how kind, generous, or gorgeous he was.
CHAPTER TEN
COLUMNAR STREET WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. The corner street lights, abandoned bikes in yards, and the occasional porch light were the only indications that anyone lived in any of the houses lined there. It seemed those who left the fundraiser hadn’t made it home yet.
A few bugs flitted in the light above Bethany Harold’s door. Goldie wrung her hands, toes throbbing in her too-high heels as she held the skirt of her dress to keep it from sweeping the ground. Adrian lingered near the wrought-iron railing surrounding the porch.
“Are you sure this is the right address?” he asked.
Goldie exhaled through a small opening in her lips. “I’m sure.”
Adrian set his jaw, climbed the steps, and pounded a few times on the door. He swept his jacket back to rest a hand at his waist and leaned in closer to the door as if seeking for the sound of footsteps.
“Maybe you’ll have better luck tomorrow,” he suggested, sliding his gaze to her.
Goldie gritted her frustration and rotated, taking the steps a little too quickly. She huffed and was tempted to remove the shoes that could also pass for weapons to the right bidder. These puppies wouldn’t make it past security at an airport, that was for sure. Seriously, how had she danced in these? They had to be at least five inches tall.
“Sorry she still isn’t here,” he said from behind her.
She turned and shot him a smile. “Thanks for bringing me by again. Do you mind if we head back now?”
“Not at all.” He offered her an arm, and she was grateful for the added support toward his car.
The fifteen-minute return drive flew by, probably because Goldie’s thoughts were leaping in all directions. Polite conversation with Adrian also helped. It was the kind of nonsense conversation that people on a momentary bus ride might exchange. The state of the weather, the last book they read. Inconsequential, really, but it meant a lot to her to have him with her.
The ranch was shadowed and hushed, being lulled to sleep by chirping crickets and hooting owls. Goldie’s shoes had started pinching her toes again, and tiredness plucked at her eyes. She was ready to change into something comfortable, tuck into bed and escape into sleep for the next few hours.
She exited his car as he did the same. He buttoned his jacket and made his way to her.
“I had a great time,” she told him. She reached for her hair, only remembering it was tucked at the base of her neck when her hands met her skin. She did her best to brush the action off. It was totally normal for her to stroke her neck, right?
“I did, too.”
They stared at each other at the foot of Rustic Ridge’s porch. The air was cool, but it was Adrian’s direct regard that gave her goosebumps.
Goldie wasn’t sure how to politely end the evening. “I’m okay from here,” she said.
He rested a hand on the railing. “You sure? I don’t mind walking you in.”
She folded her arms and fought against a yawn. The evening had definitely been diverting and amazing, but she was so tired. No one was around to play the fake-dating card to, and after the dizzying effect his dancing had on her, she wasn’t sure she could handle any more confusing hugs from him tonight.
“I’m sure. Thanks, by the way. For everything you’ve done. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
“I’m happy to help.” He rested a foot on the bottom step. “I mean that, you know. I’m glad you came with me tonight. You made a torturous evening bearable.”
She laughed away the force of his attention and took the first step, needing distance. “It wasn’t that bad.”
He inched toward her. Her body tensed. His eyes were so intense, so glistening and hypnotizing in the night air. “Trust me, if you hadn’t been there, it would have been exactly that bad.”
She swallowed. She wasn’t sure what he meant by that, and his proximity was beginning to have the same intoxicating effect it’d had on her all evening. She backed up another step, finally giving in and kicking off Kimmy’s heels and scooping them up in her hand. Her feet rested flat against the step.
“Where are you staying?” she asked.
He pointed in the direction of Chase and Kimmy’s house, past the barn. “Just up the road. Remember I pointed out my mom and brother’s house? I’m staying with them.”
Tension crackled through the air between them. This was the moment of truth after every date, the moment where goodbye could be final, or where it could start something she wasn’t completely sure she knew how to handle. Adrian seemed to sense the same thing. He climbed another step, heating the air with his nearness.
“How are you doing?” His voice was soft. “You’ve had quite the day.”
Goldie chewed her lip. “I—I have at that. Nothing has gone how I planned.”
“And you’re rolling with the punches?”
“Trying to,” she said. How could he look so fixedly at her? It was as though he cared—genuinely cared—about the answer to his question. About her and how she was faring. That couldn’t be possible, they’d met not more than twenty-four hours ago.
His warm hand stroked the skin of her arm. “I’m sorry your aunt wasn’t there.”
She dipped her head. Her exhaustion min
gled with disappointment, and yet with something delicious and bashful too. Something that made her want to give in to his attention.
The screen door crashed open behind them. Goldie jerked at the sound, pulling free of Adrian’s touch. Mrs. Bear stared at them.
Adrian seemed to handle the interruption much better than she did. “Hey, Mom,” he said. “Nice job tonight, you had a great turnout.”
She sniffed and inspected the porch’s roof with pride. “It was, wasn’t it?”
Goldie didn’t wait any longer. This was her chance to slip away. “Thanks again for inviting me,” she said, giving Adrian a complacent, overdone smile. She directed one at his mom as well before dashing inside.
A middle-aged man with glasses was sitting behind the reception desk. He greeted Goldie with a friendly smile. “Good evening.”
“Hi,” Goldie said, eager to skip past him and make for the stairs.
The screen door slammed in her wake, and moments later, Adrian’s mom was making her way up the stairs behind her. “Goldie,” she called softly.
Goldie’s eyes closed. She wasn’t ready for any more curveballs today, but she rotated on the steps and faced Adrian’s mom.
“Brr, that was a cold goodbye if I ever saw one,” Mrs. Bear said, adding a fake shiver to her shoulders and an even more forced smile. “Everything okay between you two?”
Goldie’s brow furrowed. She called her goodbye with Adrian cold? From where Goldie had been standing, things had been a little too warm. Why did Goldie get the sense that she was being baited?
“Do you always accompany your guests to their rooms?” Goldie asked. She wasn’t sure how else to politely let her know she was in no mood for any more conversation. Adrian was right; she’d had a long day.
Mrs. Bear glanced at the wooden sign in Goldie’s hand. “It really was nice to have you at the fundraiser. And you even won a prize! You know, our Danica Foster painted that sign.”
Perfect. Goldie really wished she’d never won it. She wished she’d never allowed Adrian to talk her into getting in the middle of whatever this was. Clearly, his mom was playing some kind of game here, and she’d walked into it willingly.
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